The annual announcement on May 1 of the winners of the California Young Reader Medal is always exciting! The statewide winner in the Primary category is Press Here, by Herve Tullet; the statewide winner in the Picture Book for Older Readers category is Queen of the Falls, by Chris Van Allsburg. Neither of these won at Pennekamp, though! We preferred instead Interrupting Chicken, by David Ezra Stein, for the Primary category; and The Worst of Friends: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and the True Story of an American Feud, by Suzanne Tripp Jurmain, for the Picture Books for Older Readers category. 

In honor of the actual awarding on May 1 of the CYRM statewide prizes, I am revisiting previous CYRM winners this week in class readalouds. Classes in grade 4 are finishing When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead (which incidentally is a different kind of award-winner, as it won the Newbery Medal in 2010). Grade 5 is finishing Schooled, by Gordon Korman, or hearing The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore along with viewing the short film on which it is based, which won the Academy Award for short animation in 2011. So we have awards all around this week!

For the first time this year Pennekamp participated in the competition for the Cook Prize, awarded by the Bank Street College of Education in New York, based on votes cast by students around the world (not just in America!). The winner of this prize was recently announced, too: it is The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos, by Deborah Heiligman, which also won at Pennekamp's, with voting in just our grade 3 classes. I hope to expand Pennekamp's participation in this contest next year to grades 2, 3, and 4.

As I announced last week, the 2014 summer reading lists are now available! The lists for students entering grade 6 and above present reading requirements; the three lists for elementary students (entering grades 1 and 2; entering grade 3; entering grades 4 and 5) are nonrequired reading possibilities! If your child is casting around for something to read, the summer reading lists are full of a variety of fun and interesting suggestions, but elementary students do not have an assigned summer reading requirement. The five MBUSD elementary library media specialists collaborated to create all three lists.

Looking ahead, the library will be closed during the week of Memorial Day as I have an out-of-town family event to attend. Unfortunately this means that the library will not be open during Open House--I will miss seeing everyone's families! The last book club meeting will be Monday, June 2. The last week of class visits will be the week of June 9. The last day to check out books from the library will be Friday, June 6, which means all books will be due no later than June 13 (also the very last day of class visits). Please note that a hold will be placed on a student's report card if he or she has any unreturned library books; likewise parents must also return all library materials by or before June 13 to avoid a hold being placed on their student's report card. Please contact me if there are any questions or concerns about library circulation.

Next week (February 10-16) is Random Acts of Kindness Week, which usually coincides with Valentine’s Day (February 14). Second grade this week is hearing Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch, by Eileen Spinelli. It is a nostalgic favorite of mine. Pennekamp old-timers (such as myself) may remember when this book was dramatized here by the second-grade classes. Third grade will be hearing Each Kindness, by Jacqueline Woodson, which is about a missed opportunity to include a lonely classmate. 

In an interview in School Library Journal, author Jacqueline Woodson said this about the ideas behind Each Kindness:

I think there’s this sense people have that tomorrow will always come—that we’ll always have another chance at something.  But of course, it’s not always true. People die. People move away. Whatever the reason is, sometimes that moment is, as Chloe says, “Forever gone.”  When I got to this line in the book, I knew that’s what this book was saying to me and by extension, once it was published, to the world: that we can’t assume we’ll get another chance. So do the right thing in this moment—be kind. I think kindness is so easy. It connects people, and it’s empowering.  It feels good to compliment someone and watch their face light up.  At night, our family has to say what kind things we’ve done during the day.  The beauty of this is it makes us all slow down during the day, take in what we’ll be bringing to the dinner table.

Kindergarten and first grade will be voting this week on the nominees for the California Young Reader Medal. TK voted last week, with very different results in the two TK classes! I will announce the results of our voting next week, once all the voting is done, and then our results will be tallied with those of students all over California to determine the statewide winner.

After voting, the kinders will hear Sock Monkey Rides Again, in anticipation of Valentine's Day. (Thanks to Heidi Snively, the wonderful library media specialist at Grand View, for bringing this fun book to my attention!) Grade 1 will hear Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox, a light, short picture book about Groundhog Day (which also delivers a message of friendship). Did you hear? Punxsutawney Phil said six more weeks of winter!

TK is done with CYRM so we are reading about bears this week, in support of their study on that topic. The TK students have been given time lately to look at and read a selection of library books during their class visit. They seem to be really enjoying this! I don’t think I’ve mentioned lately that parents may check out books (10 at a time) from the Pennekamp library. Please feel free to come by whenever the library is not in use for a class visit.

That leaves grades 4 and 5. With both these grades I am continuing to read aloud our chosen novels.

Next week begins Pennekamp’s “Literacy Month.” Watch for special activities not just at the library but all over school throughout the coming weeks!

Kindergarten parents, you have begun receiving a "courtesy notice" from the library simply advising you what your child has checked out and when the item is due. The notice does not necessarily mean the item is late! I simply wanted a way to let parents know what materials are checked out. Kindergarteners should return their library books on their class's library visit day (Cannon, on Monday; Rios, Vanderpool/Schneck, and Vavao, on Wednesday) so that they can take a new book. Thank you for helping your child locate and return his or her book on "library day."

In library visits this week the students and I will continue our participation in the California Young Reader Medal contest (grades TK, K, and 1). Grades 2 and 3 will hear books related to the Chinese New Year (grades 2 and 3). The Chinese (or lunar) new year begins this year on Friday, January 31. This coming year is the Year of the Horse.

Grades 4 and 5 are continuing with their novels. We have not done a lot of discussion of the novels yet--I'm trying to cover some ground and allow the novels to "work their magic" without my intrusion. However, the time is coming for discussion with those grades, and you are certainly encouraged to ask your sons and daughters what they think of the books. Grade 4 is hearing When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead, winner of the 2010 Newbery Medal; grade 5 is hearing Schooled, by Gordon Korman.

The book club for grade 5 met yesterday to discuss Jinx, by Sage Blackwood. It was a very interesting discussion, with many detailed and perceptive comments from the participants. I cannot overstate how impressed I am with these students--the detail with which they read, their ability to make connections within and among books, and the respect they show each other (and me) during meetings. What a pleasure to meet with them! The club's next selection is Wonder, by R. J. Palacio, and the next meeting will be Monday, February 24. 

Also yesterday was the announcement of the American Library Association Youth Media Awards, including the Newbery Medal and Caldecott Medal. Congratulations to all the outstanding authors and publishers who create and deliver excellent books for young people! A selection of the winners follows, but a complete list as well as more information on the awards can be found on the website of the American Library Association (from which I created my partial list):

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature: “Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures,” written by Kate DiCamillo

John Newbery Honors: “Doll Bones,” written by Holly Black; “The Year of Billy Miller,” written by Kevin Henkes; “One Came Home,” written by Amy Timberlake; “Paperboy,” written by Vince Vawter

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children: “Locomotive,” illustrated by Brian Floca

Randolph Caldecott Honors: “Journey,” written and illustrated by Aaron Becker; “Flora and the Flamingo,” written and illustrated by Molly Idle; “Mr. Wuffles!” written and illustrated by David Wiesner 

Coretta Scott King Author Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults: “P.S. Be Eleven,” written by Rita Williams-Garcia

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Book Award: “Knock Knock: My Dad’s Dream for Me,” illustrated by Bryan Collier

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor: “Nelson Mandela,” illustrated and written by Kadir Nelson

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award: “When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop,” illustrated by Theodore Taylor III

Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement: Patricia McKissack and Fredrick McKissack

 Schneider Family Book Awards for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience: “A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin,” written by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet (for children ages 0 to 10); “Handbook for Dragon Slayers,” written by Merrie Haskell (ages 11-13)

Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults: Markus Zusak. His books include “The Book Thief” and “I Am the Messenger.”   

Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children's book originally published in a language other than English in a country other than the United States, and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States: “Mister Orange,” originally published in Dutch in 2011 as “Mister Orange,” written by Truus Matti, translated by Laura Watkinson

Pura Belpré Illustrator Award honoring a Latino illustrator whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience:: “Niño Wrestles the World,” illustrated and written by Yuyi Morales

Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor: “Maria Had a Little Llama / María Tenía una Llamita,” illustrated and written by Angela Dominguez; “Tito Puente: Mambo King / Rey del Mambo,” illustrated by Rafael López, written by Monica Brown; “Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant’s Tale,” illustrated and written by Duncan Tonatiuh 

Pura Belpré Author Honor honoring a Latino writer whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience: “Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant’s Tale,” written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh 

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children: “Parrots over Puerto Rico,” written by Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore, and illustrated by Susan L. Roth

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished book for beginning readers: “The Watermelon Seed,” written and illustrated by Greg Pizzoli

Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor: “Ball,” written and illustrated by Mary Sullivan; “A Big Guy Took My Ball!” written and illustrated by Mo Willems; “Penny and Her Marble,” written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes

Monday, October 7, is a nonstudent day, so all classes have been rescheduled: Ms. Horowitz, Tuesday, 8:30 to 9:00; Ms. Cannon, Thursday, 11:30 to 12:00; Ms. Gralnik, Thursday, 1:20 to 1:40. Parents, please help your students remember to bring their books on library day. The regular schedule of class visits can be found on this website, under the Home tab.

Classes are hearing books on a variety of topics this week. You can find all the selections via the Weekly Readalouds tab of this website.

Below please find a video clip of recently enhanced footage from the Apollo 11 moon landing. The embedded file below is from Youtube, so unfortunately it includes an advertisement at the beginning, but it is beautiful and much easier to see in this enhanced version. There is a short discussion of the original and the enhanced footage on the National Geographic website. Third grade is concluding Moonshot, by Brian Floca, this week.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, and this Wednesday, October 9, is Unity Day, on which people can wear orange in opposition to bullying, teasing, and social exclusion. Throughout October I will be reading books about being a good friend, including others who may feel left out, and standing up for someone who is being teased or excluded.

There are always a great many of these educational weeks and months going on. In addition to programming at schools, community centers, museums, and in the media, these observances provide parents with an opening to talk with their children about issues. Also this month are Fire Prevention Week (October 6 to 12), World Food Day (October 16), the conclusion of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15), and Red Ribbon Week (October 23 to 30). I do not cover every event with every grade, but as you can see from the Weekly Readalouds, I try to touch on as many as I can.

Please do not forget about the County of Los Angeles Public Library's bookmark contest. Here again is the link for an entry form. Completed entries may be turned in at our school office or the library--they will be picked up by our wonderful public children's librarian, Melissa Messner, shortly after the due date, which is October 19.

Welcome back from our week off! I hope everyone had just the week they wanted, whether yours involved skiing, resting, catching up on things, or reading (I do admit a preference for that last one...).

This week the library welcomes members of the Manhattan Beach Rotary Club, who will be reading to kindergarten, first-grade, and second-grade students. The Rotary Reads program is a long-standing and beloved tradition. It is just one more way that our schools and community affirm the pleasure of reading, its role in lifelong learning, and the social benefits of cultivating a community of readers.

This week the library begins circulating titles from our new Graphic Novels section! Thanks to the PTA for funding the purchase of new books in this genre. The graphic novels in this section will increase the range of readers and interests met by our library collection. This genre offer excellent options for beginning readers as well as for students interested in drawing and comic books. Many of these books can be completed in one or two sittings, which can be encouraging for students who begin books but don't always devote the time needed to finish books. They will also serve our lunchtime readers, now that our lunchtime library has been "reclaimed" as a quiet space.

Book club meets Friday, March 8. We will be discussing The Apothecary, by Maile Meloy.

Classes this week will hear Dr. Seuss titles, except for a few classes picking up readalouds and activities missed in previous weeks: Romines, a PowerPoint on the five major reference books; and some 3rd-grade classes still completing the CYRM nominees.

Also this week, I will not be at school on Thursday and Friday, so the library will be closed. My apologies. Classes have been rescheduled as much as possible. 

Saturday, February 2, 2013, was Groundhog Day, and in case you missed the results, Punxsatawny Phil did not see his shadow, which predicts an early spring!

The coming Sunday, February 10, 2013, marks the start of the new year in Chinese culture. The lunar new year is celebrated in many places with large Chinese populations, including Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and "Chinatowns" in U.S. cities. Many activities are planned in Chinatown Los Angeles, including a spectacular parade on Saturday, February 16, starting at 1:00 p.m. The coming year is the Year of the Snake.

I will return to work this week after missing several days last week due to illness. I plan to pick up with the nominees for the California Young Reader Medal, and I hope to complete our voting before the February break week, starting February 18. Classes (including all DK/TK classes) that have completed the voting will hear stories in honor of Chinese new year. 

The book club for students in grade 5 will meet Tuesday in the library at lunch recess. We will finally have our discussion on Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and choose a new book, this time from the historical fiction genre. 

This is the last week that the library's books for adult readers will still be in the library. These books are available for "adoption" by Pennekamp parents, staff, and teachers; donation requested is 50 cents per book. After this week, the books will be moved to the staff lounge for a couple of weeks, for one last chance at local adoption; after that, they will be donated to a public library that can use them.

Don't forget the Access Books fundraiser featuring Jeff Kinney at Pages: A Bookstore. The event is Tuesday, February 5, at 5:30 p.m. This ticketed event will almost certainly sell out, so if your child is interested in attending, tickets should be obtained right away from the Access Books site. Click on this link:
Jeff Kinney at Pages for Access Books

Happy New Year, Dragons!

This week we begin reading aloud the nominees for the California Young Reader Medal. This is an annual tradition at all elementary schools in the Manhattan Beach Unified School District. Students in DK/TK, K, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades will hear five picture books, while students in grades 4 and 5 will hear three longer picture books. In addition, any student in grades 3, 4, or 5 may read the three novels nominated in the "Intermediate" category and cast a vote for his or her favorite. (Thanks go out to Linda Hunt, 3rd-grade teacher, who reads aloud the three novels to her class, allowing her students to vote on this category.) For more information and past winners, see the statistics for our school and the website of the California Young Reader Medal. 

The new selection for the 5th-grade book club is Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin, which is one of the three nominees in the "Intermediate" category for the California Young Reader Medal. The club will meet Friday, February 1. Please note, the book club has adopted a more structured format to address the needs of students desiring a more focused, less rowdy atmosphere. If that idea appeals to you (or, more to the point, to your student), please give the next book club meeting a try. New members are always welcome.

The shelves devoted to adult fiction have been repurposed, and the adult fiction books are now available to any parents, teachers, or staff who would like them. A donation of 50 cents per copy would be gratefully accepted.

The Earth Day project last week was lots of fun. Grades K, 1, 2, and 3 had the opportunity to make an Earth Day "pledge"--a commitment to do something to help the environment. They wrote their pledges on small green squares of paper, which I attached to recycled cardboard trees. Our Earth Day trees will be up until the end of the school year. Please come by and see them!

New books continue to be displayed, in particular this week new books on sports. 

Speaking of new books, if you'd like to get some for your family, the Scholastic order forms will be accepted until this Friday, May 4. This is the last Scholastic order of this school year. Thank you for purchasing from Scholastic. Your orders generate points that can be used to acquire free books for our library and classrooms.

Classes this week are hearing books about the American West, including the California missions, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Dust Bowl and resulting migration to California, and a cowgirl's roundup (of hamsters!). Having recently learned about our American systems of representative government, 5th grade will hear a book about the first American census. The younger grades are hearing about birds, butterflies, and bees. For specific titles, please visit Weekly Readalouds.

Book clubs meet on May 25 (Redwall, for grade 4) and June 1 (Wonder, for grade 5). Thanks to Mr. Warner, who is allowing any of his students who wish to read Wonder to use it for their upcoming book report. Please note, this applies only to Mr. Warner's class.

Tomorrow the statewide winners of the California Young Reader Medal will be announced! I can't wait to see how the results compare with Pennekamp's winners.